Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Bennett.
Hi Jim, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I started out as a petroleum engineer working in the international oil and gas industry about 25 years ago. I am fortunate to have worked all over the globe, including Alaska, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, and Africa. In 2018, we decided to return to the DFW area after an industry downturn in global oil and gas.
After a stint working as a consultant in Dallas, I decided to semi-retire and start a sideline business. I am now the proud owner of American Water Surveyors. I managed to find a license opportunity to utilize seismic technology to find fresh groundwater for those requiring water wells. Our clients are primarily in Texas, but we have provided our services to clients in 27 states. We get our business from online and word-of-mouth referrals. We work with several drilling companies to find optimal locations for groundwater drilling. The business has grown considerably in the past 3 years, with large numbers of clients immigrating from urban areas to rural properties, where municipal water supplies are not available.
Our service is highly rewarding, as often clients purchase their rural dream property yet have the dilemma of not having access to a freshwater supply. That’s where we come in. We can seismically survey the client’s property and identify areas with high potential and areas with no potential for groundwater. Our typical clients range from ranchers, land developers, condominiums, and golf courses to individual landowners.
Often, before our services have been contracted, our clients attempt to drill water wells based upon a convenient location for their construction. A common outcome is that groundwater is not present where they chose to drill. After the expense of a dry well, the client looks up “how to find well water,” and our ad will pop up. They contact us; we schedule a survey, find the best location, drill a second attempt, and are delighted with the outcome. That’s the reward, using engineering technology to provide our clients with a basic human need: fresh water.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
A common challenge is that clients will purchase a property for development with a small acreage footprint within a region where groundwater is limited geologically. Desert mountainous regions are particularly challenging, but we do still succeed most of the time.
Another challenge is the extensive travel required. We have to drive to each location in order to get our equipment in place. We utilize explosives in our process and have had no success with getting explosives onto an airplane. So extensive road time is required. On the upside, we have been to some of the most beautiful private locations in the USA. Mountains, deserts, valleys, and wide-open spaces.
As you know, we’re big fans of American Water Surveyors. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a unique professional service provider that is identifying groundwater sources for our clients. We have extensive subsurface engineering and hydrogeology experience, with licensed professional engineers and geologists on staff. We provide our services across the United States.
My recommendation is for anyone that is considering a property development opportunity, look at the options for water supply. If the property does not have a water supply and is located in a historically barren area, the property value will drop significantly. If nothing is available, I suggest talking to us or a local well driller for options. Remember, well drillers drill where they are hired to drill. They do not locate water. If your chosen location produces a dry well, the client still has to pay for that dry well. We recommend seismically surveying the area prior to drilling for a fraction of the cost of drilling dry wells.
Contact us at WeFindWater.com.
What do you think about happiness?
My happiest moments in this business are recurring: Often, before considering our services, a client will purchase a property, get all structures and systems laid out on a plat, go drill one or more dry wells, reach a point of futility, then call American Water Surveyors and ask if we can help. We then schedule a survey, go out, and find one or more great groundwater signals. They drill, find a successful source of groundwater, often exceeding all expectations. We have used our empirical knowledge to provide the basic human requirement against all odds. My fave feedback from clients: “We were ready to give up, but now, we cannot wipe the smiles from our faces!”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wefindwater.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-bennett-p-e-16283030/
